The Rape of Proserpina
2023 © Maxim Tabachnik
Pauline Bonaparte as Venus VictrixYoung Sick BacchusThe Rape of ProserpinaPauline Bonaparte as Venus VictrixAdoration of the Child (detail)DavidApollo and Daphne (detail)David with the Head of GoliathThe Council of the Gods (detail)The Rape of Proserpina (detail)Saint Jerome WritingApollo and Daphne with The Apotheosis of Romulus

The Rape of ProserpinaGian Lorenzo Bernini

377
From this angle, Bernini’s technical genius is apparent. Pluto’s gripping hands sink into Proserpina’s flesh with astonishing realism, turning marble into living form. The work (1621–22) stages emotional and physical tension at its peak, embodying the Baroque goal of stirring awe, drama, and pathos in a single breathtaking moment.